Labour man learns from school heads

Andy Burnham, centre, with Paul Woodward, Church ward Labour candidate, left, and Christ the King headteacher John Cosgrove

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Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham went to Whitley to hear about the effects of spending cuts.

Among the people he was introduced to at South Reading Youth and Community Centre last Thursday were headteachers involved in the Whitley Excellence Cluster (WEC), John Cosgrove, head of Christ the King Roman Catholic Primary School, and Ann Tanner, head of Whitley Park Primary School.

Mr Burnham was told of the success of WEC and heard concerns that reduced funding might set back the achievements of the Whitley schools involved.

The funding to the excellence cluster has been replaced by the pupil premium which is worth significantly less altogether.

Mr Cosgrove said loss of funding could mean children might not be able to do things like visiting the Natural History Museum.

“Something I have learned as a councillor – if you want to know about something in the community, you call the schools first.”

Mr Burnham said of the coalition Government: “I think with funding changes and policy changes, they are throwing too much change at the education system at once.”

Josh Harsant, former member of the youth parliament for Reading, raised concerns about cutting the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) paid to schoolchildren and cuts in the Connexions career service in Reading.

He told Mr Burnham that coalition Government ministers appeared to think pupils wasted their EMA on “beer and going out” but in expensive areas like Reading they were more likely to spend it on travelling to school.

He said Connexions, which helps young people not in education employment of training (NEETs) acted as far more than just a careers service by “supporting young people with all the issues they face”.